Chapter Twelve
After sobbing herself to sleep, Hazel woke up to the sound of the door unlocking with a click. She panicked and sat up, covering herself with the duvet.
The door opened and a strange-looking man walked in with a poker face. He had a tray of food in his hands which he kept on the table nearby and walked out, closing the door shut behind him.
The moment he was gone, Hazel checked the room she was in. This wasn't the room she slept in an hour back. This was a different room. How did she come in here? She looked at herself, yes, she was wearing the same clothes that she wore before being abducted.
Thankfully, she wasn't raped in her sleep. But she could smell strange traces of chloroform on herself. Did they make her unconscious and then shift her to a different room? But why? She got up, feeling dizzy and walked up to the tray and picked up a sandwich. She went to the window and checked outside.
She froze in fear. This wasn't Cypress Creek? Where was this place? There was no jungle nearby. This looked like a mansion with a fort like boundary wall all around it, blocking all view. She would never be able to escape this place. It looked like a prison to her. She had to gain her strength if she had to escape this place.
By this time Allen might have realised that she was abducted. He and Axel would definitely save her. She had to stop Nicholas from assaulting her till Allen rescued her.
With that thought she ate up the food served to her. Then she saw the folded clothes on her bed. She took a shower and wore the clean clothes and stared out of the closed and locked windows. The room was on the first floor. If she could open the window, she could get down using a rope. Then what?
The door clicked open and she panicked. God please, let it not be Nicholas, she thought. But it was Nicholas.
He barged in and locked the door from inside. "I can't wait anymore Hazel. I see that you're ready for me. Now strip, " he growled, coming towards her like a predator towards his prey.
Hazel gulped in fear. She couldn't let this happen. "Nicholas, please not today. I'm on my periods. You won't get your heir as it is. Give me 7 days. I'll be ready by then," she coaxed as he stared at her with a frown.
"Are you telling the truth?" He growled at her.
"Yes," she said, looking into his eyes innocently.
His face softened a little, "Ok, I'll come back after seven days. I'm going away on business. But after I return, you should be ready and willing. I will impregnate you and no one can stop me," he stated with a sneer and walked out of her room, banging her door shut behind him.
She fell to the floor, releasing the breath that she'd been holding. Fear, panic and helplessness gave way to tears and she broke down, sobbing as she hugged her knees close to her chest. Why was God punishing her? What had she done?
She had seven days to think of a way to save herself. She could either escape from here or kill herself before Nicholas could touch her. She looked around her room. What could she use to kill herself if the need arose? The bathroom cleaning liquids or the fruit knife that came in the breakfast tray?
Tired of thinking of options, she climbed onto the bed and closed her eyes and slept.
Allen, Jon and Gary together with the team of officers searched every corner of Cypress Creek jungles, yet couldn't find anything. They at last came upon a deserted mansion in the middle of the jungles, nicely hidden from view. The officers raided the house and found evidence that proved that Hazel indeed was kept here. They found her mobile lying near a room corridor. Her shoes were lying in one room. Her fragrance was still hovering in the air in the room where she was locked in.
"Collect all evidence, fingerprints that you can. It might lead us to them," said an officer of the Interpol team.
One of the officers came with a scrap of paper which had a phone number scribbled on it. There was a car number written on it too.
"Find out everything you can about these two numbers," instructed the officer.
"Yes sir," said the other officer, leaving to do as asked.
Allen was disappointed miserably. Jon and Gary tried their best to comfort him but in vain. They came back home without Hazel. Axel came running from the corner where he was sitting with his head in his hands.
"Dad where's Hazel?" He asked expectantly as his eyes searched for Hazel.
"We couldn't find her son. They shifted her to another place, " he said, dejectedly.
Axel sat down hopelessly on the chair next to him. "We can't give up dad. Can't you see we have to find her before Nicholas kills her or she kills herself, " screamed Axel, unable to control the panic that was boiling inside him.
Allen's eyes widened as realisation struck. Yes, Hazel could kill herself if Nicholas tried anything with her. He panicked at the thought. They had to act as early as possible.
It was night already and Joanne coaxed them to eat some dinner. They left for home. Axel and Allen lay in Allen's room but couldn't sleep a wink.
"Dad, do you love Hazel?" Asked Axel, his voice hoarse from yelling and crying the whole day.
"Yes son," said Allen in a pained voice.
"Even, I love Hazel, " said Axel quietly. "Can she be my mum?"
Allen stared at his son. This was the first time in thirteen years that he wanted a mother. A tear slipped down his cheek. Axel wiped it with his trembling hands. "Yes." Whispered Allen.
Axel hugged his dad and placed his head on his dad's shoulders and lay down quietly. A tear slipped down his cheek too. He swore to God that he would save his mum in whatever way he could.
